Settlement with Gibson sets too high standards

The Justice Department's recent settlement with Gibson Guitar has strong implications over how wood products manufacturers will be expected to conduct future business. Three years ago, the Justice Department and Homeland Security raided a factory, confiscating Indian rosewood and ebony sourced from Madagascar. The lawsuit used the newly expanded Lacey Act, alleging the woods were illegally harvested. Gibson's CEO denied any wrongdoing, but found it financially imprudent to continue to defend itself within the court system.

The heavy-handed response of the U.S. government unjustly burdens American wood-product manufacturers to act as investigators over the companies with whom they have sourcing arrangements. Fears of deforestation are a legitimate threat, but is it now our companies' responsibility to act as a police force determining the levels of political corruption and government stability in the Third World?

The real problem is that the case settled out of court, so no precedent has been set. This leaves others to question how strictly the law will be enforced. It's essential that stateside manufacturing remains and prospers. With such examples of big government, we can only expect to see more companies outsource production to areas with less stringency.